Allen Park — Over the past several days, leading up to the NFL draft, we've taken a position-by-position look at the Detroit Lions' roster situation, evaluating how the team might address these positions during the event. Today we close out the series with the secondary.

Current roster: Darius Slay, Teez Tabor, Nevin Lawson, DeShawn Shead, Quandre Diggs, Jamal Agnew, Adairius Barnes, Glover Quin, Tavon Wilson, Miles Killebrew, Stefan McClure, Rolan Milligan, Charles Washington

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions have added another cornerback, signing former Seattle Seahawk DeShawn Shead.

According to multiple reports, the one-year deal is for $3.5 million and has playing-time incentives which could bump it to as much as $6.5 million.

Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Portland State in 2012, Shead has spent his entire career with the Seahawks. He started 15 games in 2016, recording 81 tackles and 14 pass breakups, but suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs.

Allen Park – The Detroit Lions will have a second Pro Bowler. Guard T.J. Lang has been invited to participate in the game after Washington's Brandon Scherff pulled out with an injury. Lang will join teammate Darius Slay in Orlando.

Lang battled his own injuries in his first season with the Lions, missing three games due to a back strain, foot injury and concussion.

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions only have one Pro Bowler, but two of the team's players have been named to the Associated Press' All-Pro team.

Cornerback Darius Slay, the lone Lions player selected to the Pro Bowl, earned first-team honors as a defensive back. He's joined on the first team by rookie Jamal Agnew, who made it as a punt returner.

In his fifth season, Slay paced the NFL with eight interceptions and 26 pass defenses, despite being asked to shadow top receivers almost every week.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Wednesday at Halas Hall was a day for Chicago Bears coaches and players to talk about Pro Bowl snubs and once again . . . injuries.

There was nothing stunning about the NFC and AFC Pro Bowl teams announced Tuesday night but it had to be disappointing for Akiem Hicks, Jordan Howard and Kyle Fuller.

The Lions will be represented by cornerback Darius Slay in the 2018 Pro Bowl. He was the team's lone player selected for the annual all-star game, which takes place Jan. 28 in Orlando, Fla.

Slay, who leads the NFL with seven interceptions, will be a reserve for the NFC squad. Minnesota's Xavier Rhodes and Arizona's Patrick Peterson have been named the conference's starting cornerbacks.

Several Lions players have been named alternates at their positions, including quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Allen Park — When the NFL's Pro Bowl roster is announced Tuesday night, Darius Slay is more than confident he's going to hear his name called for the first time.

"It should be a given," Slay said. "Should be no question about that. Everybody loves Big Play Slay. I'm just waiting for the phone call."

Breaking down the Bears' 20-10 loss to the Detroit Lions Saturday, which clinched their fourth straight season with at least 10 losses.

THREE MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

1. After forcing a fumble to set up a field goal just before halftime, the Bears were primed to cut into their 13-3 deficit to start the second half. Instead, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was picked off by Darius Slay on the second play of the third quarter, and the Lions then quickly extended their advantage to 20-3.

Detroit — He's under pressure, constantly. They're under pressure, constantly.

But go ahead and say this about Matthew Stafford and the Lions: They're getting more comfortable handling the duress.

Darius Slay is anything but robotic. Not in the way he moves nor in the way he talks.

But the Lions' cornerback is making good on a preseason promise to play like a machine.

During the Lions second drive of the game, Darius Slay headed back to the locker room and being evaluated for a concussion.

Detroit – Darius Slay is on the verge of making his first Pro Bowl. The Lions cornerback finished fourth in the fan voting for his position and second among NFC options, behind only Minnesota's Xavier Rhodes.

Fan voting makes up one-third of the process. The league's coaches and players make up the other two-thirds. If any other Lions players are going to qualify for the league's annual all-star game, they're going to need to score well in those tallies.

Allen Park – A healthy scratch six times this season, second-round draft pick Teez Tabor has steadily seen his role increase down the stretch of his rookie season.

The Detroit Lions cornerback got a bigger workload for the fourth consecutive week, playing 39 defensive snaps against the Tampa Bay Bucs, more than double his previous season-high.

"It kind of depends on who we play, what packages we're using, it (dictates) how much he gets an opportunity to play," coach Jim Caldwell said Monday.

Allen Park – Darius Slay keeps padding his resume, and in the process, the Detroit Lions cornerback is also padding his bank account.

Slay made a smart read on a play-action rollout in Sunday's victory over the Tampa Bay Bucs, jumping a Jameis Winston pass intended for DeSean Jackson near the sideline. The corner made the sliding grab, his fifth interception of the season.

Tampa, Fla. — The Detroit Lions benefited from a ruling that one former general manager said he's never seen before.

Late in the first quarter against the Buccaneers on Sunday, wide receiver Mike Evans caught a deep pass across the middle, only to have the ball dislodged by a big hit from Lions safety Quandre Diggs. Cornerback Darius Slay quickly scooped up the loose ball.

Allen Park — With the attention rightfully on the NFC playoff race, at least a few Lions players are making a run at Pro Bowl honors this season.

The latest fan balloting results from Wednesday show cornerback Darius Slay (fourth) and return man Jamal Agnew (third) are among the top vote-getters at their positions.

Also appearing in the top 10 at their positions are free safety Glover Quin (10th), kicker Matt Prater (eighth) and guard T.J. Lang (fifth).

Detroit — It's become a dangerous trend for the Lions the past three games — fall into a double-digit deficit in the first quarter and rally back.

It happened the past two weeks against the Browns and Bears, when the Lions were able to make adjustments and buckle down to claw out of the early hole.

But on Thursday, another slow start finally bit the Lions in a 30-23 loss to the Vikings at Ford Field, leaving cornerback Darius Slay miffed and without any answers.

Detroit — Vikings tight end Blake Bell was the bearer of bad news.

After the Lions' special teams kept crucial points off the board in the first half, it nearly tied the game in the final minute when cornerback Darius Slay blocked a 25-yard field goal attempt and cornerback Nevin Lawson returned the loose ball 77 yards for a touchdown to send the Ford Field crowd into a frenzy.

Allen Park -- Short week for the Detroit Lions, but I'm not going to short you a mailbag. Let's do this.

If you could pick 3 players to be Pro Bowlers from the Lions, who would they be?

— Jakob Underwood (@skmel8r) 

A lot can change with six games remaining on the schedule, but based on performances to this point I'd put Glover Quin, Darius Slay and Jamal Agnew in the annual all-star game, while acknowledging you can make compelling cases for Matthew Stafford, Golden Tate and Matt Prater.

Chicago — Darius Slay came into Sunday leading all NFL cornerbacks with four interceptions. He should have had a fifth in the  Lions' 27-24 victory over the Chicago Bears, and the miscue could have been costly.

With the Lions clinging to their three-point lead in the closing minute, Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky tried to connect with receiver Dontrelle Inman, but Slay stepped in front of the throw.

Allen Park — The first hint came via social media this June. The statement has been made on the field this fall.

Message received, Golden Tate. You deserve an extension.

Allen Park — Darius Slay has come a long way, and one person who has been there for it all is Glover Quin.

Quin signed with the Lions in 2013 after four years in Houston, the same year Slay came into the league as the Lions second-round draft pick out of Mississippi State.

In his first season as a full-time starter in 2014, Slay quickly learned a lesson from the veteran about mental focus.

Allen Park — Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay was thrown directly into the fire as a rookie in 2013 and spectacularly imploded in his professional debut.

On the first defensive snap of his career, he had the unfortunate responsibility of tackling then-Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in the second level. It went poorly. Slay whiffed, badly, and Peterson romped 78 yards to the end zone.

Allen Park – It's time to acknowledge Darius Slay is playing at a Pro Bowl level.

In the first year of a four-year, $48 million extension he signed last offseason, the evolution and elevation of Slay's game has continued, and he's leaving little doubt he's among the NFL's best at his position.

Allen Park – On Monday, Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell talked about the value of a loss festering with his team during the bye. But there has been little sign of lingering frustrations in the locker room the past two days, following the team's 52-38 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

At last, I feel a little vindicated.

On Wednesday afternoon, I ran across a story on ESPN.com by ESPN staff writer Michael Rothstein with the headline "Slay: Pro Bowl 'pointless' after move to Orlando". Intrigued, I clicked on the link.